We each have a special purpose; I firmly believe this. Some waste their time searching for it, rather than creating it. Some accidentally stumble upon dumb luck. Others, discover their calling later in life and use their experience to conjure up the courage to relentlessly pursue their passion. But few of us are able to realize it at a young age and work hard enough to achieve these ambitions, often not realizing that the path they are on is intentional and purposeful until it impacts their personal lives.
Meet Dr. Robert Masson, a Central Florida Neurosurgeon, who just climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro at age 50 with a team of 17 to personally raise $20,000 for cancer research via the Livestrong Foundation. I had the pleasure of meeting Rob many years ago, but never knew his personal story until learning about his recent climb.
When Rob was a young medical student, his stepmother died of cervical cancer as his 10-year-old half sisters sat by her side. Fast forward about a decade and his twin sisters were thriving as track stars at Arizona State. Rob was the Chief Resident of Neurological Surgery at University of Florida Shands Hospital and was at the Dallas airport flying to a neurosurgery interview in Seattle, when he was paged over the PA system. He soon learned that one of his sisters had a bad kidney infection and needed a needle biopsy. Listening to his intuition, he got on the last flight to Phoenix so he could be with her and review her case. He knew a needle biopsy was too risky for her to endure, so against the doctor’s advice, he had her flown back to UF Shands where his trusted team of surgeons and advisors were able to perform a 14-hour right kidney resection, which included surgery on a third of her liver. She survived the surgery, then a year of chemo/radiation and even an experimental bone marrow treatment. Calley had a 5-percent/5-year survival projection. Thankfully, she is still thriving and living life to its fullest…traveling, teaching yoga, rescuing animals and loving an active outdoor lifestyle!
Last year, Calley and her twin sister, Christie, watched alongside Rob and his brothers as their father tragically lost a 13-year battle to prostate cancer.
Rob’s commitment to medicine, and his pursuit of purpose, saved his sister’s life. He has endured so much loss, but continues to work hard through his career and through his recent personal achievements to help those who, like his family members, face cancer. Dr. Masson serves as a reminder to us all that pursuing our purpose often serves a greater purpose than we may realize at the time. Listen to that inner voice and pursue your dreams. That voice is there for a reason.
You can visit Rob’s Livestrong page here
Dr. Robert Masson (top row, seconf from the right) with Wendy Chioji and Marc Middleton at Survivor’s Summit (Mt. Kilimanjaro) via the Livestrong Foundation.
We each have a special purpose; I firmly believe this. Some waste their time searching for it, rather than creating it....
